Opinion

Families need more help

Viewpoint
Enabling a skilled early years workforce and increasing outreach support for families will improve the lives and prospects of our youngest children, says MP Cherilyn Mackrory
Cherilyn Mackrory
Cherilyn Mackrory

The first five years of a person’s life are key to their prospects. It is essential that every child has a good start in life, and that means giving families the best support they can possibly receive.

Continuing with necessary improvements to early years education is crucial for parents, for providers and, most importantly of all, for the children. While the Government has committed to spending over £3.6 billion a year helping families with childcare support, there is still more to do to ensure no family gets left behind.

One thing we should look at is removing barriers to progression for Early Years Teachers in order to encourage the recruitment and retention of a skilled workforce. One solution could be a BEd/PGCE, specifically for early years to include much in the way of child psychology and child development, as well as the specialist teaching aspects required for smaller children.

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